From the Philippine Information Agency (Aug 25): Army upholds rule of law in combat operations against rebels
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar – The recent encounter of army troops with suspected members of the New People’s Army bespeaks of our troops respect to the Rule of Law, Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, said 8th Infantry Division Commanding General Jet Velarmino.
This, after some army troops encountered NPA members in a remote area of Barangay Bunga, Motiong Samar on August 19, 2015.
Based on the initial report of Lt. Col. George M. Domingo, Commanding Officer, 87th Infantry Batallion, 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, his troops were conducting combat operations to check the presence of NPA members in the outskirts of the barangay.
While approaching the area, the troops encountered a group of heavily armed NPA rebels. Firefight ensued for some 15 minutes then the rebels withdrew from their temporary lair made of assorted leaves and wooden poles.
Government troops immediately scoured the area which led them to a wounded NPA rebel left behind by his fleeing comrades. He was identified by the barangay council of Bunga as Michael Gabane aka Lagbo. The troops provided first aid to the wounded rebel and transported him to Camp Lukban Station Hospital.
After the encounter, troops recovered one caliber .45 pistol with live ammunition, one caliber .38, empty shells of AK47, two civilian backpacks containing NPA personal belongings and subversive documents with high intelligence value.
Domingo reported that there were no casualties on the government side, while one NPA rebel identified as Jenny Gabane aka Dacles was killed in action. The troops, with the assistance of the barangay official, brought the cadaver to Motiong Funeral Homes for proper disposition.
Maj. Gen. Jet B. Velarmino, Commander of the 8th Infantry Division, extended his appreciation to the troops for abiding the rules of engagement particularly in situation warranting attendance to wounded enemy combatants.
“These local NPA combatants are just victims themselves of communist leaders who take advantage of them just to pursue their personal motives. As an abider of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), even a wounded enemy deserves immediate medical care. This was manifested by our troops despite of the volatile situation, when they provided immediate medical attention to the wounded combatant,” he added.
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2681440511280/army-upholds-rule-of-law-in-combat-operations-against-rebels
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
AFP, PNP 'criminalizing' human rights work - Bayan
From InterAksyon (Aug 26): AFP, PNP 'criminalizing' human rights work - Bayan
Detail from a Manobo student's artwork depicting a burning school, which he called the handiwork of soldiers. (file)
The military and police are laying the ground for “the criminalization of humanitarian acts and human rights advocacy” by filing criminal charges against groups and individuals assisting lumad refugees in Davao City, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said.
Visiting the United Church of Christ in the Philippines Haran Mission House, where some 700 Manobo from Davao del Norte and Bukidnon have sought refuge from what they say is the occupation of their communities by the military and attempts to forcibly recruit them into militias, Bayan spokesman Teddy Casiño cited the kidnapping,
human trafficking and child abuse cases filed by the regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group against lumad leaders and supporters, including church workers and a Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate.
Casiño, a former Bayan Muna representative, said the charges "are meant to intimidate and vilify groups and individuals who provide support and refuge to lumad and peasant communities fleeing military operations."
Sheena Duazo, secretary general of Bayan Davao and one of those charged with kidnapping and child abuse, said 20 “strategic lawsuits against public participation” or SLAPP charges have been filed against human rights defenders and activists since last year.
She said these cases stem from their involvement in providing humanitarian aid and support to victims of typhoon Pablo, land grabbing and human rights abuses in Bukidnon, Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte, South Cotabato, Sarangani, General Santos City and the Misamis and Agusan provinces.
The Davao refugees became a cause celebré when authorities, claiming they were being “held against their will,” attempted to evict them from the UCCP compound and forcibly return them to their villages late last month.
This was followed by a diplomatic embarrassment when United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons Chaloka Beyani, who visited the country on the invitation of government, castigated the military for twisting his comments at an exit brief for security officials in an attempt to bolster its claims that the lumad were “manipulated” and victims of “trafficking.”
The military, and North Cotabato Representative Nancy Catamco, the chair of the House of Representatives’ committee on indigenous people who has been involved in efforts to return the refugees, have also accused the lumad at Haran, who say they will leave only when troops pull out of their villages, of supporting communist rebels.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/116622/afp-pnp-criminalizing-human-rights-work---bayan
Detail from a Manobo student's artwork depicting a burning school, which he called the handiwork of soldiers. (file)
The military and police are laying the ground for “the criminalization of humanitarian acts and human rights advocacy” by filing criminal charges against groups and individuals assisting lumad refugees in Davao City, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said.
Visiting the United Church of Christ in the Philippines Haran Mission House, where some 700 Manobo from Davao del Norte and Bukidnon have sought refuge from what they say is the occupation of their communities by the military and attempts to forcibly recruit them into militias, Bayan spokesman Teddy Casiño cited the kidnapping,
human trafficking and child abuse cases filed by the regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group against lumad leaders and supporters, including church workers and a Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate.
Casiño, a former Bayan Muna representative, said the charges "are meant to intimidate and vilify groups and individuals who provide support and refuge to lumad and peasant communities fleeing military operations."
Sheena Duazo, secretary general of Bayan Davao and one of those charged with kidnapping and child abuse, said 20 “strategic lawsuits against public participation” or SLAPP charges have been filed against human rights defenders and activists since last year.
She said these cases stem from their involvement in providing humanitarian aid and support to victims of typhoon Pablo, land grabbing and human rights abuses in Bukidnon, Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte, South Cotabato, Sarangani, General Santos City and the Misamis and Agusan provinces.
The Davao refugees became a cause celebré when authorities, claiming they were being “held against their will,” attempted to evict them from the UCCP compound and forcibly return them to their villages late last month.
This was followed by a diplomatic embarrassment when United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons Chaloka Beyani, who visited the country on the invitation of government, castigated the military for twisting his comments at an exit brief for security officials in an attempt to bolster its claims that the lumad were “manipulated” and victims of “trafficking.”
The military, and North Cotabato Representative Nancy Catamco, the chair of the House of Representatives’ committee on indigenous people who has been involved in efforts to return the refugees, have also accused the lumad at Haran, who say they will leave only when troops pull out of their villages, of supporting communist rebels.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/116622/afp-pnp-criminalizing-human-rights-work---bayan
Philippines, Malaysia Hold Joint Naval Exercises Amid Security Concerns
From The Diplomat (Aug 25): Philippines, Malaysia Hold Joint Naval Exercises Amid Security Concerns
Drills focus on maritime security and transnational crime
The Philippines and Malaysia are holding naval drills this week as both countries seek to deepen their cooperation in maritime security and transnational crime.
The four-day naval drills, codenamed MTA MALPHI LAUT 18/5, are the 18th iteration of an annual bilateral training exercise between the two Southeast Asian states since a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation was concluded in 1994.
According to Rear Admiral Primitivo Gopo, commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) which is hosting the five-day Maritime Training Activity (MTA), the exercises will be held ashore and afloat in Zamboanga City and in the Moro Gulf and focus on maritime security and transnational crime. They will run up to August 28.
The exercises, Gopo added, would consist of three phases and involve 157 sailors from the Philippine Navy (PN) and 136 sailors from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). The first phase, the harbor phase, will take place from August 24 to 25 and would involve various activities including courtesy calls, subject matter expert exchange lectures, special operations activities and naval aviation training. The second phase, at sea trials, will occur from August 26 to 27 and involve combined ship maneuvers to address various contingencies at sea. The third and last phase from August 27 to 28 will involve a sports cup activity and other recreational activities before the departure of RMN ships.
The primary objective of the exercise, Gopo said, is to enhance interoperability between the two navies and to develop better understanding and cooperation.
Smugglers, human traffickers, and terrorists from the southern Philippines have long posed a security threat to Malaysia. Two Malaysian hostages were recently kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants from a seafood restaurant in Sandakan and are still being held captive, and Kuala Lumpur and Manila are now working to secure their release.
Malaysia also played a role in facilitating negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which both inked a peace agreement over a year ago (See: “Malaysian Peacekeepers Could Face Toughest Challenge Yet”). The exercise also comes amidst the unresolved Sabah issue between the two sides, and Malaysia saw a 2013 invasion by Filipino militants in the Lahad Datu incident.
Earlier this year, Malaysian officials also announced that the country was preparing a series of offshore military bases in the Sulu Sea to address threats from the southern Philippines, including an influx of hundreds of thousands of displaced southern Filipinos if talks were to break down with the MILF.
http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/philippines-malaysia-hold-joint-naval-exercises-amid-security-concerns/
Drills focus on maritime security and transnational crime
The Philippines and Malaysia are holding naval drills this week as both countries seek to deepen their cooperation in maritime security and transnational crime.
The four-day naval drills, codenamed MTA MALPHI LAUT 18/5, are the 18th iteration of an annual bilateral training exercise between the two Southeast Asian states since a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation was concluded in 1994.
According to Rear Admiral Primitivo Gopo, commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) which is hosting the five-day Maritime Training Activity (MTA), the exercises will be held ashore and afloat in Zamboanga City and in the Moro Gulf and focus on maritime security and transnational crime. They will run up to August 28.
The exercises, Gopo added, would consist of three phases and involve 157 sailors from the Philippine Navy (PN) and 136 sailors from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). The first phase, the harbor phase, will take place from August 24 to 25 and would involve various activities including courtesy calls, subject matter expert exchange lectures, special operations activities and naval aviation training. The second phase, at sea trials, will occur from August 26 to 27 and involve combined ship maneuvers to address various contingencies at sea. The third and last phase from August 27 to 28 will involve a sports cup activity and other recreational activities before the departure of RMN ships.
The primary objective of the exercise, Gopo said, is to enhance interoperability between the two navies and to develop better understanding and cooperation.
Smugglers, human traffickers, and terrorists from the southern Philippines have long posed a security threat to Malaysia. Two Malaysian hostages were recently kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants from a seafood restaurant in Sandakan and are still being held captive, and Kuala Lumpur and Manila are now working to secure their release.
Malaysia also played a role in facilitating negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which both inked a peace agreement over a year ago (See: “Malaysian Peacekeepers Could Face Toughest Challenge Yet”). The exercise also comes amidst the unresolved Sabah issue between the two sides, and Malaysia saw a 2013 invasion by Filipino militants in the Lahad Datu incident.
Earlier this year, Malaysian officials also announced that the country was preparing a series of offshore military bases in the Sulu Sea to address threats from the southern Philippines, including an influx of hundreds of thousands of displaced southern Filipinos if talks were to break down with the MILF.
http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/philippines-malaysia-hold-joint-naval-exercises-amid-security-concerns/
Abu Sayyaf gunmen say they will kill duo if ransom money not paid soon
From The Star Online (Aug 25): Abu Sayyaf gunmen say they will kill duo if ransom money not paid soon
[Video report: Timely visit
PETALING JAYA: After switching off her handphone for months, the wife of an Abu Sayyaf hostage switched it on again only to receive a chilling call from the gunmen – they are threatening to behead him.
Chan Wai See said she received the threat at about 5pm on Saturday.
Chan managed to speak to her husband Bernard Then Ted Fen who she said sounded worried and scared. It was the first time that she had spoken to her husband since the end of June, when she switched off the phone.
The gunmen told her that they will behead him if the ransom was not paid.
Then also told her that another hostage who was with him, Thien Nyuk Fun, who suffers from high blood pressure, was in a “critical” condition.
“The conversation with my husband lasted less than a minute. Unlike before, he did not sound steady.
“He said he was next in line to be beheaded. The kidnappers then snatched the phone from him and told me they would behead him if the ransom was not paid quickly. The line then got cut off,” Chan said, sobbing. She added that the line was very bad and that the person on the other end of the phone spoke in Malay.
“I am terrified for my husband’s life. I plead with the government to save him from beheading,” she said.
Chan did not have any contact with the kidnappers since June when she turned off her phone on instructions by the police.
She switched it on last Friday after reading media reports about the beheading of a Filipino hostage.
“I was so scared and didn’t know what to do,” she said.
Thien, 50, and Then, 39, were snatched from the Ocean King Seafood Restaurant in Sandakan, Sabah on May 14 and taken to Jolo island in southern Philippines by the gunmen.
Thien was the restaurant manager while Then, a Sarawakian, was holidaying in Sandakan.
The duo’s families are getting even more worried as there have been recent reports of beheadings and military raids in Jolo.
They also say that they do not have the money to pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
Malaysian intermediaries are believed to be facing problems in negotiations as the families have been unable to raise the ransom.
Yesterday, the families met Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed in Putrajaya to ask for the Government’s help to secure their release.
Nur Jazlan said the Government had a policy of not entertaining ransom demands and did not want to set a precedent.
Abu Sayyaf militants beheaded a Filipino village chief on Aug 11 after his family failed to come up with the one million pesos (RM892,000) in ransom.
The village chief was kidnapped on May 4 along with two other coastguard personnel.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/08/25/Threats-to-behead-hostages/
[Video report: Timely visit
Time is running out for the two hostages, Bernard Then and Thien Nyuk Fun, captured by Abu Sayyaf-linked gunmen, as the kidnappers plan to behead Then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR4JHHdQkDk]PETALING JAYA: After switching off her handphone for months, the wife of an Abu Sayyaf hostage switched it on again only to receive a chilling call from the gunmen – they are threatening to behead him.
Chan Wai See said she received the threat at about 5pm on Saturday.
Chan managed to speak to her husband Bernard Then Ted Fen who she said sounded worried and scared. It was the first time that she had spoken to her husband since the end of June, when she switched off the phone.
The gunmen told her that they will behead him if the ransom was not paid.
Then also told her that another hostage who was with him, Thien Nyuk Fun, who suffers from high blood pressure, was in a “critical” condition.
“The conversation with my husband lasted less than a minute. Unlike before, he did not sound steady.
“He said he was next in line to be beheaded. The kidnappers then snatched the phone from him and told me they would behead him if the ransom was not paid quickly. The line then got cut off,” Chan said, sobbing. She added that the line was very bad and that the person on the other end of the phone spoke in Malay.
“I am terrified for my husband’s life. I plead with the government to save him from beheading,” she said.
Chan did not have any contact with the kidnappers since June when she turned off her phone on instructions by the police.
She switched it on last Friday after reading media reports about the beheading of a Filipino hostage.
“I was so scared and didn’t know what to do,” she said.
Thien, 50, and Then, 39, were snatched from the Ocean King Seafood Restaurant in Sandakan, Sabah on May 14 and taken to Jolo island in southern Philippines by the gunmen.
Thien was the restaurant manager while Then, a Sarawakian, was holidaying in Sandakan.
The duo’s families are getting even more worried as there have been recent reports of beheadings and military raids in Jolo.
They also say that they do not have the money to pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
Malaysian intermediaries are believed to be facing problems in negotiations as the families have been unable to raise the ransom.
Yesterday, the families met Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed in Putrajaya to ask for the Government’s help to secure their release.
Nur Jazlan said the Government had a policy of not entertaining ransom demands and did not want to set a precedent.
Abu Sayyaf militants beheaded a Filipino village chief on Aug 11 after his family failed to come up with the one million pesos (RM892,000) in ransom.
The village chief was kidnapped on May 4 along with two other coastguard personnel.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/08/25/Threats-to-behead-hostages/
WesMinCom cites Beng for support to military
From the Zamboanga Today (Aug 25): WesMinCom cites Beng for support to military
The Western Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines yesterday and No less than WesMinCom Commander LtGen Rustico Guerrero presented Climaco with a plaque of appreciation during the celebration of the Command’s anniversary at Camp Don Basilio Navarro in Barangay Calarian.
The recognition cited the mayor’s invaluable services and support extended to the Command.
During the same occasion, Climaco was able to confer with Rear Admiral Datuk Khairul Anvar bin Yahya, Commander of Naval Region 2 of the Royal Malaysian Navy, who heads a contingent of navy personnel from the neighboring country.
The Malaysian naval delegation is set to conduct joint border patrol exercises with their Philippine Navy counterparts to strengthen security measures this week.
The drills aim to intensify security in the seas that used by lawless elements, particularly the Abu Sayaff Group (ASG), in their kidnap-for-ransom activities. Climaco urged both naval forces to coordinate efforts to secure the seas to discourage criminals.
http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/top-stories/20883-wesmincom-cites-beng-for-support-to-military.html
The Western Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines yesterday and No less than WesMinCom Commander LtGen Rustico Guerrero presented Climaco with a plaque of appreciation during the celebration of the Command’s anniversary at Camp Don Basilio Navarro in Barangay Calarian.
The recognition cited the mayor’s invaluable services and support extended to the Command.
During the same occasion, Climaco was able to confer with Rear Admiral Datuk Khairul Anvar bin Yahya, Commander of Naval Region 2 of the Royal Malaysian Navy, who heads a contingent of navy personnel from the neighboring country.
The Malaysian naval delegation is set to conduct joint border patrol exercises with their Philippine Navy counterparts to strengthen security measures this week.
The drills aim to intensify security in the seas that used by lawless elements, particularly the Abu Sayaff Group (ASG), in their kidnap-for-ransom activities. Climaco urged both naval forces to coordinate efforts to secure the seas to discourage criminals.
http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/top-stories/20883-wesmincom-cites-beng-for-support-to-military.html
AFP accepts over 40K M4 Remington rifles after US firm corrects over 20,000 units
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Aug 25): AFP accepts over 40K M4 Remington rifles after US firm corrects over 20,000 units
The military has accepted over 40,000 M4 Remington rifles for its troops after the United States-based manufacturer replaced the defective parts of more than 20,000 rifles.
The military has accepted over 40,000 M4 Remington rifles for its troops after the United States-based manufacturer replaced the defective parts of more than 20,000 rifles.
The Armed Forces
of the Philippines
said the 44,186 rifles – which were delivered in two batches – have been
accepted as of August 30 by the Defense Acquisition Office.
The AFP public
affairs office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato, said the first batch of 24,300 rifles
were already accepted and would soon be issued to the troops of the Philippine
Army.
The second batch
of 19,886 rifles will be subjected to ballistic tests before these are issued,
according to Detoyato.
“All the rifles
are corrected already and have been accepted. The date of acceptance was July
30 but the documents signifying the acceptance were received by the DAO on
August 13,” Detoyato said.
This means that
the Remington Firearms Company had already corrected the defective rifles,
which had unstable rear gunsights, prompting the military to return the rifles
to the manufacturer.
The military
earlier returned some 22,000 firearms to the supplier so that the defective
parts could be replaced at no cost to the government.
Of the 27,000 M4
rifles initially meant for the Philippine Army, only 5,000 were without defects
and equipped with optical gunsight and have been already distributed to the
Philippine Marines.
At first, the Technical
Inspection and Acceptance Committee withheld the acceptance of the 22,000
rifles as the rules provided that defects must first be corrected before the
units could be accepted.
“This was not
about the procedure in the procurement, but it was the lapse of the supplier.
They had to correct this before the TIAC could give the go-signal to accept,”
the military official said.
Detoyato said the
defects were discovered four months ago when the TIAC conducted a random sampling
test of the delivered rifles and noticed that the rear sight of the rifles were
unstable.
“It’s a defect by
the supplier so the supplier had to shoulder and correct the discrepancy before
(the guns) could be accepted,” the military official said.
Some rifles
distributed to the 7th Infantry Division were also recalled since these were
only “ceremonially distributed.”
The latest batch
was the part of the delivery of around 60,000 rifles meant to replace the old
M16 rifles. The 60,000 rifles cost
the government around P2 billion.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/127678/afp-accepts-over-40k-m4-remington-rifles-after-us-firm-corrects-over-20000-units
Pacific Angel Philippines mass casualty exercise improves emergency response
From DVIDS (Aug 24): Pacific Angel Philippines mass casualty exercise improves emergency response
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Angel Vrgiles, a mass casualty instructor from Hurlburt Field, Fla., talks with a member of the Philippine army about the outcome of a mass casualty exercise as part of Pacific Angel Philippines, Bohol Province, Philippines, Aug. 21, 2015. The mass casualty exercise was the culminating event of a five-day subject matter expert exchange between the U.S. Defense Institute for Medical Operations, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Telephone and Radio System Integrated Emergency Response, the Provincial Heath Care Unit and the City Heath Care Unit. Pacific Angel is a multilateral humanitarian assistance civil military operation, which improves military-to-military partnerships in the Pacific while also providing medical health outreach, civic engineering projects and subject matter exchanges among partner forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Aaron Oelrich/Released)
TAGBILIRAN, Philippines - In 2013, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Bohol Province, Philippines, destroying bridges and turning buildings into piles of rubble. The damage was significant with numerous injuries and fatalities.
The province’s reaction to the disaster exhausted first response agencies including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Telephone and Radio System Integrated Emergency Response, the Provincial Heath Care Unit and the City Heath Care Unit.
“After the earthquake, response agencies worked independently, there was no teamwork, making it chaotic and unorganized,” said Mark Sidney Galia, head of emergency management for the TaRSIER. “I was the one in charge in our operation center; I set priorities to the responses and dispatched the teams to their locations. The first few days, there was duplication of services between the response agencies.”
Following the disaster, members of the emergency response agencies evaluated their reaction to the disaster.
“As an emergency responder, the earthquake was a wakeup call,” Galia said. “We realized we have to prepare, we have to be ready and we have to practice. Before the earthquake, we had the training but there was no practice. But with the help of Pacific Angel and this mass casualty exercise, we have learned how to practice our emergency response together.”
The mass-casualty exercise was the culminating event of a five-day subject matter expert exchange between the U.S. Defense Institute for Medical Operations, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the TaRSIER, the PHCU and the CHCU.
The event was part of the greater Pacific Angel Philippines, an exercise that brings together U.S. service members and other partner nation military personnel to establish partnerships and build capacity.
This year, Pacific Angel Philippines brought together the U.S., the Philippines and four other Indo-Asia-Pacific partners and Philippine non-governmental organizations.
“This was the first time that all the response agencies from the local area have trained together,” said Capt. Faiz Taqi, a Defense Institute for Medical Operations team member from Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. “Each agency conducts its own training, but they have never had a combined training like this. It has been very important and very successful because the local agencies came together and were able to bring different ideas and experts and share with one another for the first time.”
Taqi was not the only one who felt the training was valuable.
“For the past five days, we learned the theory of what to do, we prepared how to respond and we put it into action,” Galia said. “Everyone had a great experience. We learned interoperability between the different agencies and are better prepared for the next earthquake or emergency.”
With a new-found level of communication and cooperation between the emergency response agencies, they all move forward with a greater understanding of one another.
Taqi said the U.S. and the local emergency response agencies can learn a lot from each other, and collectively, they can work together to improve their processes as well.
“Working together is not only bringing the two nations together, it is also increasing the inter-agency cooperation by training the internal agencies together for the first time during the Pacific Angel Philippines.”
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/174131/pacific-angel-philippines-mass-casualty-exercise-improves-emergency-response#.Vd0WPsazbmR
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Angel Vrgiles, a mass casualty instructor from Hurlburt Field, Fla., talks with a member of the Philippine army about the outcome of a mass casualty exercise as part of Pacific Angel Philippines, Bohol Province, Philippines, Aug. 21, 2015. The mass casualty exercise was the culminating event of a five-day subject matter expert exchange between the U.S. Defense Institute for Medical Operations, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Telephone and Radio System Integrated Emergency Response, the Provincial Heath Care Unit and the City Heath Care Unit. Pacific Angel is a multilateral humanitarian assistance civil military operation, which improves military-to-military partnerships in the Pacific while also providing medical health outreach, civic engineering projects and subject matter exchanges among partner forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Aaron Oelrich/Released)
TAGBILIRAN, Philippines - In 2013, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Bohol Province, Philippines, destroying bridges and turning buildings into piles of rubble. The damage was significant with numerous injuries and fatalities.
The province’s reaction to the disaster exhausted first response agencies including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Telephone and Radio System Integrated Emergency Response, the Provincial Heath Care Unit and the City Heath Care Unit.
“After the earthquake, response agencies worked independently, there was no teamwork, making it chaotic and unorganized,” said Mark Sidney Galia, head of emergency management for the TaRSIER. “I was the one in charge in our operation center; I set priorities to the responses and dispatched the teams to their locations. The first few days, there was duplication of services between the response agencies.”
Following the disaster, members of the emergency response agencies evaluated their reaction to the disaster.
“As an emergency responder, the earthquake was a wakeup call,” Galia said. “We realized we have to prepare, we have to be ready and we have to practice. Before the earthquake, we had the training but there was no practice. But with the help of Pacific Angel and this mass casualty exercise, we have learned how to practice our emergency response together.”
The mass-casualty exercise was the culminating event of a five-day subject matter expert exchange between the U.S. Defense Institute for Medical Operations, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the TaRSIER, the PHCU and the CHCU.
The event was part of the greater Pacific Angel Philippines, an exercise that brings together U.S. service members and other partner nation military personnel to establish partnerships and build capacity.
This year, Pacific Angel Philippines brought together the U.S., the Philippines and four other Indo-Asia-Pacific partners and Philippine non-governmental organizations.
“This was the first time that all the response agencies from the local area have trained together,” said Capt. Faiz Taqi, a Defense Institute for Medical Operations team member from Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. “Each agency conducts its own training, but they have never had a combined training like this. It has been very important and very successful because the local agencies came together and were able to bring different ideas and experts and share with one another for the first time.”
Taqi was not the only one who felt the training was valuable.
“For the past five days, we learned the theory of what to do, we prepared how to respond and we put it into action,” Galia said. “Everyone had a great experience. We learned interoperability between the different agencies and are better prepared for the next earthquake or emergency.”
With a new-found level of communication and cooperation between the emergency response agencies, they all move forward with a greater understanding of one another.
Taqi said the U.S. and the local emergency response agencies can learn a lot from each other, and collectively, they can work together to improve their processes as well.
“Working together is not only bringing the two nations together, it is also increasing the inter-agency cooperation by training the internal agencies together for the first time during the Pacific Angel Philippines.”
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/174131/pacific-angel-philippines-mass-casualty-exercise-improves-emergency-response#.Vd0WPsazbmR
Troops recover IEDs from NPA
From the Philippine Star (Aug 25): Troops recover IEDs from NPA
Local folks have been complaining of the excessive collection of "protection money" by the New People's Army (NPA). Philstar.com/File photo
Soldiers on Monday recovered a dozen improvised explosive devices (IEDs) left by communist rebels following a firefight with soldiers in west of South Cotabato’s T’boli town.
The IEDs could be used as roadside bombs or as time-delayed explosives that can be set off in public places, such as terminals and markets, using mobile phones.
Lt. Col. Ronald Alcudia, commanding officer of the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion (IB), said the explosives were found in an open field where his subordinates and a group of New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas collecting revolutionary taxes from T’boli tribal communities traded shots for an hour.
The encounter erupted when the NPAs opened fire on a team of soldiers dispatched to verify the reported presence of gunmen mulcting “protection money” from peasants in Barangay Lakunon in the hinterland T’boli town.
Local folks have long been complaining of the excessive taxation activities of NPAs in the barangay.
Alcudia said 27th IB combatants will continue with their community patrols in T’boli’s hinterland areas that are vulnerable to NPA incursions.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/08/25/1492099/troops-recover-ieds-npa
Local folks have been complaining of the excessive collection of "protection money" by the New People's Army (NPA). Philstar.com/File photo
Soldiers on Monday recovered a dozen improvised explosive devices (IEDs) left by communist rebels following a firefight with soldiers in west of South Cotabato’s T’boli town.
The IEDs could be used as roadside bombs or as time-delayed explosives that can be set off in public places, such as terminals and markets, using mobile phones.
Lt. Col. Ronald Alcudia, commanding officer of the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion (IB), said the explosives were found in an open field where his subordinates and a group of New People’s Army (NPA) guerillas collecting revolutionary taxes from T’boli tribal communities traded shots for an hour.
The encounter erupted when the NPAs opened fire on a team of soldiers dispatched to verify the reported presence of gunmen mulcting “protection money” from peasants in Barangay Lakunon in the hinterland T’boli town.
Local folks have long been complaining of the excessive taxation activities of NPAs in the barangay.
Alcudia said 27th IB combatants will continue with their community patrols in T’boli’s hinterland areas that are vulnerable to NPA incursions.
http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/08/25/1492099/troops-recover-ieds-npa
Military base in Quezon converted into coop plant
From The Daily Tribune (Aug 24): Military base in Quezon converted into coop plant
From military base to a cooperative-run exporting plant.
The former military camp was converted into a plant of the Pederasyon ng Magsasaka at Mangingisda sa Bayan ng Padre Burgos (PMMBPB), which is engaged in the manufacture of various coconut products.
Chris Ferrer, one of the founding leaders of PMMBPB, said that the federation has a total of 798 employees composed of 750 twiners, 20 weavers and 28 in charge of the research and production.
Among the federation’s products are coco peat, fresh coir dust, mixed fiber, coco twine ropes, mattress fiber and Coco Geo nets.
Currently, Ferrer said that the PMMBPB is exploring export markets in Dubai, Korea, China, United States of America and Europe.
“We have gone a long way after converting this military camp into a manufacturing plant,” said Ferrer.
Bob Villena, owner of the lot where the PMMBPB sits, recalled how local residents of Barangay Danglagan and adjacent villages embraced the 1st SF Battalion troops who were always in support of the populace especially during calamities.
“They (1st SF Battalion troops) did not only provide security, they were our partners in the local community,” declared Villena.
“There was even a time when the 1st SF Battalion dismantled its garage for armored personnel carrier to provide materials for the construction of makeshift classrooms after a school was destroyed by typhoon,” he added.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/military-base-in-quezon-converted-into-coop-plant
From military base to a cooperative-run exporting plant.
This was
the former headquarters of the Army’s 1st Special Forces Battalion in Barangay
Danglagan, Padre Burgos in Quezon province.
The former military camp was converted into a plant of the Pederasyon ng Magsasaka at Mangingisda sa Bayan ng Padre Burgos (PMMBPB), which is engaged in the manufacture of various coconut products.
Chris Ferrer, one of the founding leaders of PMMBPB, said that the federation has a total of 798 employees composed of 750 twiners, 20 weavers and 28 in charge of the research and production.
Among the federation’s products are coco peat, fresh coir dust, mixed fiber, coco twine ropes, mattress fiber and Coco Geo nets.
Currently, Ferrer said that the PMMBPB is exploring export markets in Dubai, Korea, China, United States of America and Europe.
“We have gone a long way after converting this military camp into a manufacturing plant,” said Ferrer.
Bob Villena, owner of the lot where the PMMBPB sits, recalled how local residents of Barangay Danglagan and adjacent villages embraced the 1st SF Battalion troops who were always in support of the populace especially during calamities.
“They (1st SF Battalion troops) did not only provide security, they were our partners in the local community,” declared Villena.
“There was even a time when the 1st SF Battalion dismantled its garage for armored personnel carrier to provide materials for the construction of makeshift classrooms after a school was destroyed by typhoon,” he added.
As tribute to the 1st SF Battalion, the PMMPB has maintained the symbol of the
Army unit at the compound.
After its stint in Padre Burgos, the 1st SF Battalion was transferred to
Candelaria also in Quezon province before moving to Leyte
then at its present location in Bukidnon province.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/military-base-in-quezon-converted-into-coop-plant
Supreme Court justices visited Pag-asa Island
ANC video report posted to ABS-CBN (Aug 26): Supreme Court justices visited Pag-asa Island
[Video report: 3 Supreme Court justices visited Pag-asa Island]
Three Supreme Court justices take a trip to the Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea. - ANC, The World Tonight, August 25, 2015
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/08/25/15/supreme-court-justices-visited-pag-asa-island
[Video report: 3 Supreme Court justices visited Pag-asa Island]
Three Supreme Court justices take a trip to the Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea. - ANC, The World Tonight, August 25, 2015
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/08/25/15/supreme-court-justices-visited-pag-asa-island
NPAs kill retired cop linked to human rights abuses
From ABS-CBN (Aug 25): NPAs kill retired cop linked to human rights abuses
A group of armed men shot dead a retired policeman in front of his house in Barangay Cabubuhan, Magsaysay town in Misamis Oriental on Monday.
The five suspects approached retired SPO4 Dioscoro Capiring Jr. and identified themselves as members of the New People's Army (NPA).
The armed men then ordered Capiring to turn over his firearms. The victim surrendered his caliber .22 revolver with live ammunition.
Insisting the victim still had his M-16 rifle, the suspects then shot Capiring's knees before aiming at his head and body.
In a radio interview in Cagayan de Oro, NPA North Central Mindanao spokesperson Allan Juanito admitted the rebels were behind the ex-cop's killing.
Juanito accused the victim of several human rights violations while he was still active in service, including the alleged execution of two civilians.
The police provincial office in Misamis Orietnal has organized a task force to investigate the motive behind the killing.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/08/25/15/npas-kill-retired-cop-linked-human-rights-abuses
A group of armed men shot dead a retired policeman in front of his house in Barangay Cabubuhan, Magsaysay town in Misamis Oriental on Monday.
The five suspects approached retired SPO4 Dioscoro Capiring Jr. and identified themselves as members of the New People's Army (NPA).
The armed men then ordered Capiring to turn over his firearms. The victim surrendered his caliber .22 revolver with live ammunition.
Insisting the victim still had his M-16 rifle, the suspects then shot Capiring's knees before aiming at his head and body.
In a radio interview in Cagayan de Oro, NPA North Central Mindanao spokesperson Allan Juanito admitted the rebels were behind the ex-cop's killing.
Juanito accused the victim of several human rights violations while he was still active in service, including the alleged execution of two civilians.
The police provincial office in Misamis Orietnal has organized a task force to investigate the motive behind the killing.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/08/25/15/npas-kill-retired-cop-linked-human-rights-abuses
Photo: Relief operation
From The Standard (Aug 26): Photo: Relief operation
This undated handout photo released by the Philippine Air Force on Aug. 24 shows an Air Force helicopter unloading relief for the residents in a village in Ilocos Sur that was isolated by the flooding caused by Typhoon “Ineng.” AFP
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/08/26/relief-operation-2/
This undated handout photo released by the Philippine Air Force on Aug. 24 shows an Air Force helicopter unloading relief for the residents in a village in Ilocos Sur that was isolated by the flooding caused by Typhoon “Ineng.” AFP
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/08/26/relief-operation-2/
Tribal leaders, elders call for release of detained IPs
From The Standard (Aug 26): Tribal leaders, elders call for release of detained IPs
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/08/26/tribal-leaders-elders-call-for-release-of-detained-ips/
The leaders and
elders of various indigenous peoples’ tribes in Davao del Norte are calling for
the immediate release of their fellow tribesmen who are being held in the Haran compound of the United Church of Christ in the
Philippines (UCCP) in Davao
City
In its Resolution
No. 2, series of 2015, the Office of the Tribal Assembly of Elders/Leaders of
the Langilan Manobo tribe aired its concern about the “miserable situation” of
their constituents who, it said, were deceived by militant organizations into going
to the Haran compound on Father Selga
Street ,
Davao City
The notarized
resolution, which bears the signatures and thumbprints of 60 tribal leaders and
elders, strongly condemned these militant organizations for bringing and
padlocking the IPs in Haran
Specifically
mentioned in the resolution were the following organizations: National
Democratic Front (NDF), Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s
Army (NPA), Karadyawan-Kapalong, Karapatan, Pasaka Regional Lumad
Confederation, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), Gabriela, Alliance
of Concerned Teachers (ACT), Salugpungan Ta Tanu Community Learning Center,
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Southern Mindanao Region (KMP-SMR), Mindanao
InterFaith Services Foundation Inc. (MISFI) and Exodus.
Pointing out that
it is the responsibility of the entire tribe to look after the safety and
welfare of its members who are being oppressed, the tribal leaders and elders
said their call for their tribesmen’s immediate release was in response to the
complaints of their relatives.
In its
resolution, the Manobo tribal council said “innocent families were deceitfully
brought” to Haran by militant groups “who
promised them some remuneration for their attendance in Davao City
According to
earlier reports, various IP tribes in Davao del Norte and other provinces were
asked to go to Davao
City
“Instead they
were used as marchers during the rallies instigated by the militant
organizations,” the tribal council said in its resolution.
The council
unanimously decided to send the resolution to the office of the Haran-UCCP
compound, with copies provided the Committee on Indigenous Peoples of Congress,
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Department of Justice (DOJ),
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Commission on Human
Rights.
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/08/26/tribal-leaders-elders-call-for-release-of-detained-ips/
US admiral arrives today
From The Standard (Aug 26): US admiral arrives today
China claims virtually all of the South
China Sea . The Philippines and other countries which have
territorial disputes with China in the busy sea have been particularly
concerned by the land reclamation projects, which have turned a number of
previously submerged reefs in the Spratlys archipelago into artificial islands
with buildings, runways and wharves. The islands could be used for military and
other facilities to bolster China
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/08/26/us-admiral-arrives-today/
THE commander of
the United States Pacific Command is scheduled to arrive in the country on
Wednesday to discuss security problem involving the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Admiral Harry
Harris Jr. will meet top Philippine military officials before flying to Palawan to assess the security situation in the WPS.
Harris will be
accorded military honors by AFP chief of staff Gen. Hernando Iriberri at Camp Aguinaldo
before holding discussions with ranking military officials in Palawan .
“The purpose of
the visit is to discuss bilateral security concerns with the Philippines
“He has to get a
very good perspective on what is happening on the ground. That is why he wanted
to visit Admiral Alexander Lopez so that he can be personally be brief by the
commander,” Detoyato said, noting that the meeting will take place at the
Western Command headquarters in Puerto
Princesa City
The Western
Command headquarters is near Philippine Navy bases in Ulugan
Bay which are being offered to the US as a base for visiting American forces and
vessels under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) the Philippines inked with the US
Harris earlier
reiterated US concern over security matters in the West Philippine Sea and said
China is “creating a great wall of sand’’ through its land reclamation, causing
serious concerns about its territorial intentions.
“But what’s really
drawing a lot of concern in the here and now is the unprecedented land
reclamation currently being conducted by China China
Harris said the
region is known for its beautiful natural islands, but “in sharp contrast, China
Harris said the
pace of China
He said the
United States continues to urge all claimants to conform to the 2002
China-ASEAN Declaration of Conduct, in which the parties committed to “exercise
self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate
disputes and affect peace and stability.’’
“How China
The U.S. China
says its territorial claims have a historical basis and objects to what it
considers U.S.
Harris said the United States
“By maintaining a
capable and credible forward presence in the region, we’re able to improve our
ability to maintain stability and security,’’ he said. “If any crisis does
break out, we’re better positioned to quickly respond.’’
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/08/26/us-admiral-arrives-today/
Pemberton defense presents last witness
From The Standard (Aug 26): Pemberton defense presents last witness
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/08/26/pemberton-defense-presents-last-witness/
THE lawyers of US
Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton rested its presentation of evidence
after a forensic pathologist disputed on Tuesday the official cause of death of
transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude who was found dead in an Olongapo City
Pemberton’s
lawyers claimed that the testimony of forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun
supported the Marine’s claim that Laude was unconscious but still alive when he
left her and that another person could have entered the hotel room and killed
Laude.
But private
prosecution lawyer Virginia Suarez said the defense failed to establish their
assertion and dismissed Fortun’s testimony as incredible because she was paid
to testify based on “theories, photographs and documents” without actually
examining Laude’s body.
“That’s expected.
Fortun admitted the defense paid her services to testify. How can she be
considered credible? The Laude family did not pay the prosecution. She has not
seen or touched her remains,” she said.
“You cannot just compare
a four-page report of Fortun with a comprehensive examination of the forensic
expert from the Philippine National Police who actually dissected and conducted
external and internal autopsy on Laude,” Suarez said.
“I must say we
cannot compare an apple to an orange,” Suarez said, noting that Pemberton only
presented himself, his mother Lisa and Fortun to back his claim that Laude was
still alive when he left her.
“But they could
not establish their assertion [although] that is a good legal tactic for the
defense to convince the court that he had no intention to kill her,” Suarez
said.
“We have
overwhelming pieces of evidence, more than 300 of them with 28 testimonies,”
she added, a day after Pemberton testified that he strangled Laude after a
fight, but the transgender woman was still alive when Pemberton left.
After the defense
rested its case, Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde of the Olongapo City Regional Trial
Court Branch 74 set closing arguments on September 14 and scheduled December 14
as the deadline of her decision.
Meanwhile, the
Department of Justice is confident that the case against Pemberton was
strengthened after he admitted strangling Laude and that reinforced arguments
against the downgrade of the murder case to homicide.
“Pemberton’s
admission that he strangled Laude certainly helped the prosecution’s case,’’
DOJ Secretary Leila De Lima said, adding that it reinforced the evidence
presented by the DOJ prosecutors in the murder case.
“Our
prosecutorial stance remains the same— target Pemberton’s conviction for
murder, and nothing less,” De Lima assured.
Pemberton
testified on Monday that he was a victim of deception by Laude, whom he
strangled in self-defense in a fit of “passion and obfuscation,” but did not
intend to kill the latter.
The American
serviceman had gotten drunk while on furlough in this city and was supposedly
deceived into believing that Laude was a female sex worker.
During
intercourse, Pemberton said he discovered that Laude was not a woman. Shocked,
Pemberton testified that he pushed back Laude, who slapped him, prompting the
serviceman to choke the transgender.
His lawyer Rowena
Flores explained that Pemberton’s testimony was meant to prove that the
qualifying circumstances of treachery, abuse of superior strength and cruelty
were not present in the case.
The lawyer said
the serviceman “acted in self-defense and to protect his honor and life… and
acted in immediate vindication of the wrong done to him.”
“Jennifer
succeeded in committing such acts of lasciviousness by deceiving Pemberton or
by fraudulent machination,” Flores claimed.
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/08/26/pemberton-defense-presents-last-witness/
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